2016 Gym Ratings & Reviews

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Get started on your health and fitness goals by comparing leading gym chains using Canstar Blue’s customer satisfaction ratings.

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* Overall satisfaction is an individual rating and not a combined total of all ratings. Brands with equal overall satisfaction ratings are listed in alphabetical order.Canstar Blue research finalised in August 2016 and published in August 2016.

Most Satisfied Customers | CityFitness

CityFitness has received Canstar Blue’s Most Satisfied Customers Award for the second time after receiving five star reviews from Kiwi gym-goers.

CityFitness in good shape at the top of our gym ratings

We all want to look good and feel great, and for many, that means hitting the gym. Sure, there are plenty of other ways to exercise, but there’s nothing quite like the supportive atmosphere of a gym to help you achieve your health and fitness goals.

Whether your goals are to get fit, lose weight or build muscle, finding the right gym is an important decision, as signing up to one that’s not right for you could mean you’re being held back from achieving your best results. That’s why Canstar Blue has endeavoured to help by asking gym-goers how they rate their gym of choice based on key satisfaction criteria, including value for money, equipment and facilities, group classes, flexibility of membership, staff availability and social atmosphere.

The survey brought varying results for the big chains, with one standing out from the rest again. For 2016, we can announce that CityFitness has been rated five stars for overall gym-going satisfaction and retains the award it first picked up last year.

CityFitness has 25 clubs across New Zealand (20 on the North Island and five on the South), all with 24/7 access for members. Membership plans are flexible and range in price and benefits, meaning there’s something to suit all kinds of needs.

How often do you go to the gym?

Finding the willpower to go to the gym can be an achievement in itself. According to our survey, 27% of gym members don’t go to the gym as much as they thought they would when they first joined. Yet despite this, more than three-quarters (77%) of gym-goers are still making the effort to go to gym at least three times per week, while nearly all respondents (95%) claimed to go to gym at least once a week.

Of course, we all have different attitudes to working out – 14% of survey respondents only go to their gym for its classes, while 27% prefer to go with a friend rather than by themselves.

When it comes to why we go to the gym, 46% of adults said it was to improve their fitness, while 31% cite weight loss as their motivation, 16% want to gain muscle, and only 2% said it was because of a new year’s resolution.

How much do gyms cost us?

Most gyms only offer fixed-term contracts for a year, but some can also offer month-to-month deals. But if you don’t ask, you might not get. It’s usually the case that fixed-term contracts have lower membership fees, with the catch of course being that you can’t leave without paying a penalty if a better deal comes along.

As part of our research, we asked New Zealand gym members how much they’re spending each month on membership and found the average spend to be $58.77.

If you’re considering joining a gym, also remember there may be one-off signup and security fees – potentially costing a couple hundred dollars. Fortunately, many gyms often scrap the sign-up fees during sales events, so keep your eye out for good deals as they come along.

Our gym pet hates

If you go anywhere with other people, there will almost definitely be a few things about them that bug you – and the gym is no exception unfortunately. Curious about this, we asked New Zealanders what their biggest pet hates are and found the following:

Overcrowding 51%

Dirty/smelly showers 38%

Smelly/untidy gym 37%

Not using a towel and making equipment sweaty 33%

Others hogging equipment 31%

People not replacing/resetting equipment 27%

People looking at me 24%

Loud grunting 23%

People showing off 21%

Music and TV choices 17%

Others using their drink bottle 15%

People talking to me 12%

Most gyms are pretty open to constructive feedback, so if you have any of these pet-peeves, leave a message for your gym and they should at least try to address it. If you’re unhappy with your club’s response, then we hope our customer ratings help you make the switch to a gym that better suits your needs.

CityFitness has received Canstar Blue’s Most Satisfied Customers Award for the second time after receiving five star reviews from Kiwi gym-goers.

Frequently Asked Questions

Canstar Blue commissioned I-view to survey 2,500 New Zealand consumers across a range of categories to measure and track customer satisfaction. The outcomes reported are the results from customers within the survey group regularly visit a commercial gym where they pay a membership fee – in this case, 429 New Zealanders.

Brands must have received at least 30 responses to be included. Results are comparative and it should be noted that brands receiving three stars have still achieved a satisfaction measure of at least six out of 10. Not all brands available in the market have been compared in this survey. The ratings table is first sorted by star ratings and then alphabetically. A rated brand may receive a ‘N/A’ (Not Applicable) rating if it does not receive the minimum number of responses for that criteria.

To our knowledge, all information in articles on the Canstar Blue website was correct at the time of publication. This information may have changed over time. Refer to the product fact sheet (or relevant similar documentation) before making any purchase decision. Canstar Blue's website terms and conditions apply.